11 May 2017: The 2017 World Hydropower Congress in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, highlighted the promise of hydropower for sustainable energy and structural transformation in Africa. Governments, businesses and NGOs issued their own commitments to planning better hydropower. The International Hydropower Association (IHA) launched its annual status report at the Congress, noting steady worldwide growth in hydropower development.
The Congress convened from 9-11 May 2017, and brought together energy ministries, project developers, businesses, international organizations and NGOs to discuss developments and good practices in hydropower projects around the world. The three-day event was organized by the International Hydropower Association (IHA) and partners, including the Global Energy Interconnection Development Organization (GEIDCO), a Beijing-based developer of clean energy projects. Other organizations represented at the Congress included the China Three Gorges Corporation, the China Electric Power Equipment and Technology Co Ltd, General Electric, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and The Nature Conservancy.
Rachel Kyte, CEO of Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) and special representative of the UN Secretary General, noted that hydropower can offer clean energy while “crowding in” more solar and wind energy.
The Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) called for climate resilience to be considered and planned for when designing hydropower projects. Xuming Liang, GEIDCO chief engineer, affirmed his organization’s commitment to a sustainable energy future for Africa, and many other companies and organizations also expressed their support for this vision. Abdalla Hamdok, Acting Executive Secretary, UNECA, noted that over 600 million people in Africa do not have access to electricity, and called for policies to promote inclusive growth through hydropower and other kinds of renewable energy. He cautioned that over-reliance on hydropower could compromise energy security in many countries, and encouraged countries to work toward climate resilience and social inclusion. Hamdok also announced that the UNECA and the African Union Commission (AUC) are working closely with stakeholders to promote low-carbon energy development and develop innovative financing regimes for clean energy infrastructure projects, which, he anticipated, will support the implementation of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Africa Union’s Agenda 2063.
Rachel Kyte, CEO of Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) and special representative of the UN Secretary General, noted that hydropower can offer clean energy while “crowding in” more solar and wind energy.
On May 9, the World Bank announced its technical cooperation with Paraguay’s hydropower dam operator, Itaipú Binacional, to continue their joint work on forest and biodiversity conservation in the Atlantic Forest corridor.
Besides its annual status report, the IHA also launched a compendium of good practices in sustainable hydropower. Ken Adams, IHA President, noted that hydropower “can be done right,” and Gabriel Azevedo, Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC), welcomed the stakeholder partnerships that have been developed. The compendium, titled ‘Better Hydro,’ contains 34 case studies based on assessments conducted under the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol, focusing on important considerations around the impacts of hydropower on indigenous peoples, cultural heritage and other matters.
The World Hydropower Congress takes place every two years. The previous meeting, in 2015, took place in Beijing, China. [UNECA Opening Press Release] [UNECA Press Release on Integrating Climate Change in Hydropower Planning] [UNECA Closing Press Release] [2017 Hydropower Status Report Web Page] [2017 Hydropower Status Report] [World Bank Press Release] [International Hydropower Association Website] [Congress Agenda]